Written Answers Friday 24 November 2006

Scottish Executive

Care Commission

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Care Commission has raised in fees from providers of care services for elderly people in each year since its formation, broken down by category of service.

Lewis Macdonald: The amount raised in fees from providers of care services for elderly people is an operational matter for the Care Commission. The commission can be contacted at:

  The Care Commission

  Compass House

  11 Riverside Drive

  Dundee DD1 4NY

  0845 603 0890

  http://www.carecommission.com/.

Care Commission

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria the Care Commission applies when setting charges for providers of care services for elderly people.

Lewis Macdonald: Ministers are responsible under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 for setting maximum regulatory fees. Under the act the Care Commission is responsible for fixing fees within these maxima, having regard to its reasonable expenses in carrying out its functions under the act. The criteria the commission applies when setting these charges are an operational matter for the commission. The commission can be contacted at:

  The Care Commission

  Compass House

  11 Riverside Drive

  Dundee DD1 4NY

  0845 603 0890

  www.carecommission.com.

Care Commission

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that the Care Commission and, ultimately, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman undertake timely investigations of complaints regarding nursery inspection reports

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to inform parents of any dispute in respect of a Care Commission inspection report during the period between the lodging of the complaint and the decision by the commission and, ultimately, by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman about whether the complaint should be upheld.

Lewis Macdonald: The Care Commission carries out its functions within the framework of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 and its associated regulations, taking account of the National Care Standards. Inspection methodology and the handling of complaints are operational matters for the commission. It is obliged to deal fairly with complaints in line with the procedures set out in its Complaints Procedure, which has been approved by Scottish ministers

  The Scottish Executive is not responsible for the operation of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO), which is a Parliamentary Body and not an Executive sponsored body. Questions on its operation should be submitted directly to the SPSO.

Care Commission

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints in (a) total and (b) respect of early years establishments have been received by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman regarding the Care Commission and what the outcomes of these complaints were.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) is a Parliamentary Body, not a Scottish Executive sponsored body. The Scottish Executive is not responsible for the operation of the ombudsman and does not hold information on complaints related to its work. A request for this information should be submitted directly to the SPSO.

Central Heating Programme

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many eligible applicants it estimates will have to wait until after the winter for (a) the provision of free central heating and insulation under its central heating programme and (b) grants to have their homes insulated under the Warm Deal scheme, broken down by local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Information is not kept in the form requested covering local authority area but by main postcode area.

  The central heating and Warm Deal Programmes are demand-led. The number of people waiting and the length of time each individual has to wait are dependent on the number of eligible applicants and the target number of installations in any one year. The average waiting time is currently around six months. Where householders require gas connections, electrical upgrades, building warrants etc it may, in some circumstances, take longer for them to receive the measures.

  The target number of central heating and warm deal installations in 2006-07 is 12,000 and 12,800 respectively. However, to address the continuing high demand we are allocating an additional £5 million, between now and the end of this financial year, to help up to 5,000 more householders benefit from these successful programmes.

Dentistry

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists have taken action on the eight priority areas identified by the Sterile Services Provision Review Group’s report, Survey of Decontamination in General Dental Practice .

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to for general dental practices will be of implementing the recommendations of the Sterile Services Provision Review Group’s report, Survey of Decontamination in General Dental Practice , on the sterilisation of instruments.

Lewis Macdonald: The recommendations in the report were directed at the Scottish Executive and relevant working groups and were intended to inform policy on primary care decontamination practice. The recommendations were not directed at individual medical or dental practices.

Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the act came into force, in each category.

George Lyon: The Financial Memorandum to the bill is available on the Scottish Parliament’s website. The Executive is not aware of any significant costs having been incurred as a result of the act.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons it has learnt from the failure of the tender processes for both the Campbeltown to Ballycastle and the Gourock to Dunoon ferry routes to attract bids and whether it will apply those lessons to the tender process for the remaining Clyde and Hebrides ferry routes before that process concludes.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has confidence in the procedures in place for the tender of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services, in light of the failure of tender processes for the operation of the Campbeltown to Ballycastle and the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service to attract bids.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what independent analysis will be undertaken of the failure of the tender process for ferry services for both the Campbeltown to Ballycastle and the Gourock to Dunoon routes to attract bids.

Tavish Scott: The Campbeltown to Ballycastle tender has not yet been completed as it has been suspended following the Northern Ireland Office’s decision to withdraw its funding commitment. The Executive has asked the Northern Ireland Office to reconsider this decision. It is, therefore, incorrect to say that the process has failed. The Executive has been clear throughout that there was no guarantee that the Gourock to Dunoon commercial tender would attract bids. However, as a commercial service would remove the constraints on a subsidised service imposed by State aid rules and as some local interests have argued that a service between Gourock Pier and Dunoon Pier could be operated on a commercial basis, the Executive concluded that a commercial opportunity should be tendered. Now that it is clear that a passenger and vehicle service cannot be operated on a commercial basis, the Executive will, in line with plans announced when we issued the commercial tender, bring forward other proposals for the route.

  The tendering of ferry services is being conducted in a fair and robust manner and in full compliance with EU rules and the Executive’s procurement guidelines.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will suspend the tender process for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Tavish Scott: Arrangements for the tendering of the services are continuing. The services are being tendered to bring them into compliance with the European Union’s Maritime Cabotage Regulation and EU rules on state aids. Proceeding with the tender will allow us to protect these lifeline routes.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the full cost has been to it of the tender process for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry services from the initial proposal to tender the route to the closure of the tender process on 13 November 2006.

Tavish Scott: It is not possible to provide an exact estimate of the total cost of the tendering process. However, we are able to provide approximate Scottish Executive staffing costs incurred during the tendering process and approximate costs in relation to professional advice received. We are also able to provide a figure in relation advertising costs incurred during the tendering process.

  Staffing costs of approximately £63,550 at current prices, have been incurred since the commercial tendering process began. This cost does not include the cost of senior officials in Transport Group, specialist officials or Ministers as their time cannot be separately accounted for. Neither does it include any allowance for the overheads that the Executive accrues generally.

  Further external technical, financial and legal advice was commissioned to assist the Executive in taking forward the tendering process. An approximate cost of £80,300 has been incurred in this respect since the commercial tendering process began.

  An additional approximate cost of £3,100 was incurred for advertising during the commercial tendering process.

  Some of the work carried out will be relevant to future proposals for the Gourock to Dunoon route.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, and intends to have, with the operators of Caledonian MacBrayne, Western Ferries and V Ships in relation to the decision by each of the companies not to bid to operate the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service currently operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.

Tavish Scott: The Executive plans to invite each of the companies involved to meetings to discuss the outcome of the tendering process.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the provision of financial and carrying information and the timescales in which this information was provided to Western Ferries during the tender process for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service.

Tavish Scott: The Executive is satisfied that it provided bidders for the Gourock to Dunoon ferry service tender with as much information as was required to allow them to construct a robust bid. A considerable amount of detailed information was made available to bidders at the start of the process and the Executive sought to answer all questions raised by bidders during the tendering process as promptly as possible.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is confident that it will receive bids to operate the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is confident that it will receive more than one bid to operate the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is committed to implementing a fair and robust tendering process that will create a level playing field for bidders. We will do everything possible to encourage a positive response to this exercise but it will be for the companies involved to decide whether to submit a bid.

Fisheries

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the locations for fish farm licences which (a) are active, (b) have not been used this year and (c) have not been used in the last four years.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive does not issue fish farm licences and is therefore unable to provide the information requested.

Flooding

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial assistance it plans to provide to the Highland Council under the formula which it operates, similar to the Bellwin formula, to compensate for losses incurred during the recent flooding.

George Lyon: The First Minister has invited Highland Council to submit more detailed information on the nature and costs of the damage they have incurred as a result of the recent flooding incident. We are standing by to consider this detailed information, when it is available.

Genetically Modified Food

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29237 by Lewis Macdonald on 7 November 2006, whether it will list the devolved requirements, with regard to GM food and feed, that the Food Standard Agency’s office in Scotland ensures are met.

Lewis Macdonald: The competent authority for the GM Food and Feed Regulation 1829/2003 in the UK is the Food Standards Agency (FSA), and it is a devolved matter within the UK. The Food Standards Agency advises Scottish ministers on the transposition of EU measures into Scottish legislation relating to this area. The agency in Scotland also advises Scottish ministers on issues relating to genetically modified food and feed.

  The agency in Scotland ensures that Scottish stakeholder views and any specific Scottish circumstances are taken into consideration when developing the agency’s policy advice and any actions in relation to genetically modified food and feed applications.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who in Scotland is legally responsible for upholding Article 4 (2) of Regulation EC 1829/2003.

Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that, in Scotland, local authorities are responsible for upholding Article 4 (2) of Regulation EC 1829/2003.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who in Scotland is legally responsible for upholding Article 3 of Commission decision 2006/578/EC.

Lewis Macdonald: Commission Decision 2006/578/EC was revoked and replaced by Commission Decision 2006/601/EC on 5 September 2006.

  The enforcement of the equivalent Article in the current Commission Decision is for the relevant local authority as provided in The Rice Products (Restriction on First Placing on the Market) (Scotland) Regulations 2006.

Genetically Modified Food

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29271 by Lewis Macdonald on 10 November 2006, when it wrote to (a) local authorities and (b) ports about possible importation of contaminated rice.

Lewis Macdonald: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency in Scotland that it contacted local authorities (both inland and at ports) about possible importation of contaminated rice on 25 August 2006. Follow-up letters were also sent on 8 September, 26 October and 13 November 2006.

Local Government Finance

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has given to the Local Government Finance Review Committee throughout its inquiry.

George Lyon: Because there are still a number of outstanding invoices, it is not possible to give a final figure for the committee’s costs during the period of its inquiry, from its establishment in June 2004 to the publication of its report on 9 November 2006. The committee itself has estimated its total costs, excluding secretariat costs, at £270,000. We will be in a position to provide a total figure once all outstanding invoices are settled.

NHS Hospitals

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS hospitals employ carer co-ordinators on an (a) part-time and (b) full-time basis.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally.

NHS Hospitals

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any literature or best practice guidance on the role of carer co-ordinators in NHS hospitals.

Lewis Macdonald: NHS boards are currently developing Carer Information Strategies. These will come into force from April 2007 onwards. Strategies will specify how boards, in partnership with local authorities and the voluntary sector, propose to identify and support carers in their area. To support the implementation of the Strategies the Scottish Executive will shortly be issuing guidance on best practice in identifying and supporting carers. This will describe different models of support, including the role of carer co-ordinators.

NHS Hospitals

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) forecast and (b) out-turn figures have been for admissions to each accident and emergency department in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: Forecasts of accident and emergency (A&E) department attendances are not made at a Scotland level.

  Information on A&E attendances (new and return) is given in table 1 Accident and Emergency attendances by NHS board and location for the years ending 31 March 2002 – 2006 a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 41057).

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each of its departments and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) have spent on consultants in each year since 1999.

Mr Tom McCabe: Information is not held centrally on NDPBs. For departments, I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19304 on 26 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc.(Scotland) Act 2003

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc.(Scotland) Act 2003 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the act came into force, in each category.

Tom McCabe: The Financial Memorandum to the bill is available on the Scottish Parliament’s website. The only quantifiable costs arising from provisions in the bill relate to the operation of the office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland and the Historic Environment Advisory Committee for Scotland (HEACS). The costs of the commissioner are the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body. The initial set up cost of HEACS was £20,000 and the annual costs for the 2005-06 financial year were £51,000.

Public Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) monthly and (b) annual cost is of the Bus Route Development Grant paid through Fife Council to Stagecoach for its service from Inverkeithing to Edinburgh Airport; whether this service was put out to tender, and what the monthly ridership figures are for the most recent period for which information is available.

Tavish Scott: For the Inverkeithing to Edinburgh Airport service, Fife Council has been granted a maximum allocation in Bus Route Development Grant funding of £672,000 over the three year life of the project. Within that maximum, the actual cost and phasing of payments will depend on the performance of the service.

  The Bus Route Development Grant guidance states that, as projects should be identified in conjunction with the bus operator(s) whom it is intended will run them, the services should not be tendered.

  We have no current plans to publish operator specific figures with regard to financial or passenger information. Such information is commercially in confidence and it would not be in the public interest for it to be disclosed.

Public Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) monthly and (b) annual cost is of the Bus Route Development Grant paid through Fife Council to Stagecoach for its number 99 service in the St Andrews to Dundee corridor; whether this service was put out to tender, and what the monthly ridership figures are for the most recent period for which information is available.

Tavish Scott: For the St Andrews to Dundee service, Fife Council has been granted a maximum allocation in Bus Route Development Grant funding of £593,000 over the three year life of the project. Within that maximum, the actual cost and phasing of payments will depend on the performance of the service.

  The Bus Route Development Grant guidance states that, as projects should be identified in conjunction with the bus operator(s) whom it is intended will run them, the services should not be tendered.

  We have no current plans to publish operator specific figures with regard to financial or passenger information. Such information is commercially in confidence and it would not be in the public interest for it to be disclosed.

Public Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) monthly and (b) annual cost is of the Bus Route Development Grant paid through Fife Council to Stagecoach for its number 78 service between Dunfermline and High Valleyfield; whether this service was put out to tender, and what the monthly ridership figures are for the most recent period for which information is available.

Tavish Scott: For the Dunfermline to High Valleyfield service, Fife Council has been granted a maximum allocation in Bus Route Development Grant funding of £301,000 over the three year life of the project. Within that maximum, the actual cost and phasing of payments will depend on the performance of the service.

  The Bus Route Development Grant guidance states that, as projects should be identified in conjunction with the bus operator(s) whom it is intended will run them, the services should not be tendered.

  We have no current plans to publish operator specific figures with regard to financial or passenger information. Such information is commercially in confidence and it would not be in the public interest for it to be disclosed.

Public Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) monthly and (b) annual cost is of the Bus Route Development Grant paid through Fife Council to Stagecoach for services other than its service from Inverkeithing to Edinburgh Airport, its number 99 service in the St Andrews to Dundee corridor and its number 78 service between Dunfermline and High Valleyfield; whether these services were put out to tender, and what the monthly ridership figures are for the most recent period for which information is available.

Tavish Scott: For the Kirkcaldy to Glenrothes and the Townhill to Dunfermline services, Fife Council has been granted a maximum allocation in Bus Route Development Grant funding of £350,000 and £590,000 respectively over the three year life of the project. Within that maximum, the actual cost and phasing of payments will depend on the performance of the services.

  The Bus Route Development Grant guidance states that, as projects should be identified in conjunction with the bus operator(s) whom it is intended will run them, the services should not be tendered.

  We have no current plans to publish operator specific figures with regard to financial or passenger information. Such information is commercially in confidence and it would not be in the public interest for it to be disclosed.

Public Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what competition criteria have to be addressed in applications by local authorities for funding under the Bus Route Development Grant scheme and whether these criteria include a requirement that services should be subject to tender.

Tavish Scott: As a public services concession contract within the terms of European Regulation 1191/69, Bus Route Development Grant guidance states that, as projects should be identified in conjunction with the bus operator(s) whom it is intended will run them, the services should not be tendered.

Public Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to local authorities on the operation of quality bus interchange and corridor projects; what contribution to these projects is required from bus operators, and what guidance is given on monitoring these projects.

Tavish Scott: The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 gave transport authorities powers to implement Quality Measures in their areas including Quality Contracts and Quality Partnerships. Guidance on the use of Quality Measures is contained in Guidance on Part 2 (Bus Services) of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001.

  A number of quality bus interchange and corridor projects have been supported by the devolved Government in Scotland under awards to local authorities over the five rounds of the Public Transport Fund (PTF). PTF projects were required to provide regular monitoring returns to the Executive until the award was fully claimed. While no specific guidance was issued on the operation of such projects, the bidding guidance emphasised that projects were more likely to be successful if the bid was able to demonstrate that contributions would be obtained from parties who would directly benefit, such as transport operators and private developers.

Public Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to local authorities on the composition and membership of strategic transport partnerships, including on representation of community transport operators, and whether it will provide details of community transport operators’ representation on strategic transport partnerships throughout Scotland.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive published guidance on the membership of the seven regional transport partnerships in its document Scotland’s Transport Future: Regional Transport Partnerships – Guidance on Membership in December 2005.

  The guidance states that the majority of members will be drawn from local authorities within the region with about one-third of the members being drawn from outwith the councils. Non-councillor members were appointed by Scottish ministers, as individuals, based on merit and in line with the principles of public appointments.

  No community transport operators are currently members of the regional transport partnerships. The guidance allows the regional transport partnerships to appoint observers/advisers to their partnerships; they do not need the consent of Scottish ministers.

Public Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been given to local authorities on the (a) operation of, (b) funding of and (c) obtaining of best value from local demand-responsive transport provision, including on whether such provision should be in-house or tendered.

Tavish Scott: We have drawn local authorities’ attention to guidance in consultants’ reports. I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29835 on 24 November 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Public Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been given to local authorities on the (a) operation of, (b) funding of and (c) obtaining of best value from local demand-responsive transport travel dispatch centres and minibus management centres, including guidance on whether these should be operated in-house or tendered.

Tavish Scott: We have drawn local authorities’ attention to guidance in consultants’ reports. I refer the member to the answer to question S2W 29835 on 24 November 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Public Transport

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice and guidance has been given to local authorities following the publication of its report, How to Plan and Run Flexible and Demand Responsive Transport Guidance .

Tavish Scott: My officials wrote to Heads of Transportation of Scottish local authorities on 23 May 2006 to advise them that two reports, Review of Demand Responsive Transport in Scotland and How to Plan and Run Flexible and Demand Responsive Transport , would be published on the Scottish Executive’s website on 25 May 2006.

Youth Courts

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a decision about the roll out of youth courts.

Cathy Jamieson: The final evaluations of the pilot youth courts in Hamilton and Airdrie are published today, Evaluation of the Airdrie Sheriff Youth Court Pilot, Evaluation of the Airdrie and Hamilton Youth Court Pilots  which can be accessed at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent.

  I am pleased to note that the pilots are judged to be a success with particular strengths in fast-tracking of young people through the court and in the wider range of services and resources available to address the behaviour of these young people. I have therefore decided to fund the existing youth courts for a further three years.

  On the strength of the success of the pilots in Hamilton and Airdrie, I have also decided to provide additional resources with a view to extending the benefits of the youth courts to two other sheriffdoms. Initial studies suggest that Kilmarnock, Paisley and Dundee could benefit from having a youth court and we will be working with the Sheriff Principal and local parties to assess the feasibility of establishing youth courts at these locations.

Correction

The reply to question S2W-27954, which was originally answered on 18 October 2006, has been corrected: see page 9348 or http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-06/wa1121.htm.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it will produce a Gaelic language plan, as provided for in the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005.

Duncan McNeil: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body is pleased to announce that it has received notice from Bòrd na Gàidhlig that is required to draw up a Gaelic language plan in accordance with section 3 of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 no later than 1 October 2007. A group of officials has been established to take forward the development of the plan and to draw up proposals for a consultation process. This group will be having an initial meeting with Bòrd na Gàidhlig in December. The group’s recommendations will be considered by SPCB in due course

  The SPCB has provided the following translation:

  Tha Buidheann Chorporra Pàrlamaid na h-Alba toilichte ainmeachadh gu bheil i air fios reachdail fhaighinn bho Bhòrd na Gàidhlig gum feum i plana Gàidhlig ullachadh a rèir earrainn 3 de dh’Achd na Gàidhlig (Alba) 2005 ro 1 Dàmhair 2007. Thathar air buidheann de luchd-obrach a stèidheachadh gus am plana, agus molaidhean airson obair co-chomhairleachaidh air a phlana, a thoirt air adhart. Bidh a’ bhuidheann seo a’ coinneachadh ri Bòrd na Gàidhlig airson a’ chiad turais san Dùbhlachd. Thèid molaidhean na buidhne a chur don SPCB an ceann seala.